We were on vacation in St. Maarten when we ended up in this time share
shpeel (I'll be honest - we just wanted the free $50) - but this one was a
little different and it piqued our interest. It's new by RCI called "The
Cruise Club" - you buy a timeshare for a week sailing on a catamaran yacht,
that holds 3 couples, plus crew, which is a husband (captain) and wife
(cook).It sounded good, but $17,000 for 12 years commitment scared us and
I've always been lery of timeshares. Plus, we're young, no kids, but
planning to start a family in few years - to commit time and money when we
don't know where life is taking us scared us. The salesman made us a deal
with to sell us just one week, to use at any time in the next 3 years. The
deal included airfare to St. Maarten from anywhere in US, plus the catamaran
cruise, all food and drink (including alcohol), fishing, snorkelling, scuba
diving. We try to take one vacation a year and the price he offered was less
than what we had paid for the vacation we were on.So - we bought the one
week, and put half down on our credit card. The other half he said would be
billed a month later.It's been a month, and for other reasons, we cancelled
our credit card and had the company issue a new one. So the second half of
the charge won't work for them. I tried to call them today to give them the
new number, but the telephone number on the forms they gave me do not work.
Now I'm worried that I've been taken, or scammed in some way. I don't know
what to think. Anyone ?

Kathy T.
"Shawn" <shawnNO@shawnNO-andSP-lisaAM.com> wrote in messagenews:55SdndCUipbfgu_dRVn-ig@telcove.net...> We were on vacation in St. Maarten when we ended up in this time share> shpeel (I'll be honest - we just wanted the free $50) - but this one was a> little different and it piqued our interest. It's new by RCI called "The> Cruise Club" - you buy a timeshare for a week sailing on a catamaran
yacht,> that holds 3 couples, plus crew, which is a husband (captain) and wife> (cook).It sounded good, but $17,000 for 12 years commitment scared us and> I've always been lery of timeshares. Plus, we're young, no kids, but> planning to start a family in few years - to commit time and money when we> don't know where life is taking us scared us. The salesman made us a deal> with to sell us just one week, to use at any time in the next 3 years. The> deal included airfare to St. Maarten from anywhere in US, plus the
catamaran> cruise, all food and drink (including alcohol), fishing, snorkelling,
scuba> diving. We try to take one vacation a year and the price he offered was
less> than what we had paid for the vacation we were on.So - we bought the one> week, and put half down on our credit card. The other half he said would
be> billed a month later.It's been a month, and for other reasons, we
cancelled> our credit card and had the company issue a new one. So the second half of> the charge won't work for them. I tried to call them today to give them
the> new number, but the telephone number on the forms they gave me do not
work.> Now I'm worried that I've been taken, or scammed in some way. I don't know> what to think. Anyone ?

We run a crewed yacht in BVI and generally when we book "cabin only"
we charge $900/person. But we are a lower cost provider as we are
owners and crew. If you compare to www.moorings.com or
www.catamaranco.com that do cabin only trips they are a bit more
expensive but you will have more flexiblity of when you want to travel
and no huge financial committments.

The best way to do a trip is with a group of your friends and book the
entire boat.

Sailing on a cat is a great way to see the islands.

Mike
www.NOSPAMsailingthecaribbean.com

"Shawn" <shawnNO@shawnNO-andSP-lisaAM.com> wrote in message news:<55SdndCUipbfgu_dRVn-ig@telcove.net>...> We were on vacation in St. Maarten when we ended up in this time share> shpeel (I'll be honest - we just wanted the free $50) - but this one was a> little different and it piqued our interest. It's new by RCI called "The> Cruise Club" - you buy a timeshare for a week sailing on a catamaran yacht,> that holds 3 couples, plus crew, which is a husband (captain) and wife> (cook).It sounded good, but $17,000 for 12 years commitment scared us and> I've always been lery of timeshares. Plus, we're young, no kids, but> planning to start a family in few years - to commit time and money when we> don't know where life is taking us scared us. The salesman made us a deal> with to sell us just one week, to use at any time in the next 3 years. The> deal included airfare to St. Maarten from anywhere in US, plus the catamaran> cruise, all food and drink (including alcohol), fishing, snorkelling, scuba> diving. We try to take one vacation a year and the price he offered was less> than what we had paid for the vacation we were on.So - we bought the one> week, and put half down on our credit card. The other half he said would be> billed a month later.It's been a month, and for other reasons, we cancelled> our credit card and had the company issue a new one. So the second half of> the charge won't work for them. I tried to call them today to give them the> new number, but the telephone number on the forms they gave me do not work.> Now I'm worried that I've been taken, or scammed in some way. I don't know> what to think. Anyone ?

> We were on vacation in St. Maarten when we ended up in this time share> shpeel (I'll be honest - we just wanted the free $50) - but this one was a> little different and it piqued our interest. It's new by RCI called "The> Cruise Club" - you buy a timeshare for a week sailing on a catamaran yacht,> that holds 3 couples, plus crew, which is a husband (captain) and wife> (cook).It sounded good, but $17,000 for 12 years commitment scared us and> I've always been lery of timeshares. Plus, we're young, no kids, but> planning to start a family in few years - to commit time and money when we> don't know where life is taking us scared us. The salesman made us a deal> with to sell us just one week, to use at any time in the next 3 years. The> deal included airfare to St. Maarten from anywhere in US, plus the catamaran> cruise, all food and drink (including alcohol), fishing, snorkelling, scuba> diving. We try to take one vacation a year and the price he offered was less> than what we had paid for the vacation we were on.So - we bought the one> week, and put half down on our credit card. The other half he said would be> billed a month later.It's been a month, and for other reasons, we cancelled> our credit card and had the company issue a new one. So the second half of> the charge won't work for them. I tried to call them today to give them the> new number, but the telephone number on the forms they gave me do not work.> Now I'm worried that I've been taken, or scammed in some way. I don't know> what to think. Anyone ?

Sure sounds like a scam, as it seems strange that air fare is part of
the deal. 12 years is a long time for a boat and crew to stay in
charter. Suppose it could be a few boats and crews, though. Still, I'd
contact the old credit company and explain the situation with them. They
may be able to put a hold on the downpayment, which would get the
company's attention.

Do keep checking things, though, as RCI is fairly well established.
Friend told me about something new they were trying that sounds similar.

Something that occurs to me: Could the area code(s) have changed since
the forms were printed?

Jere, The company changes out boats just as any charter company does.
In BVI they have changed from a Privlege 485 to a Venezia 42. The
relationship is with Catamaran Company in BVI, so they may have access
to the other boats as needed.

Your idea on the change of area code is probably correct. 809 used to
be the entire Caribbean, sometimes you still see that.

Mike

Jere Lull <jerelull@mac.com> wrote in message news:<jerelull-76F74B.22223007042004@news.verizon.net>...> In article <55SdndCUipbfgu_dRVn-ig@telcove.net>,> "Shawn" <shawnNO@shawnNO-andSP-lisaAM.com> wrote:> > > We were on vacation in St. Maarten when we ended up in this time share> > shpeel (I'll be honest - we just wanted the free $50) - but this one was a> > little different and it piqued our interest. It's new by RCI called "The> > Cruise Club" - you buy a timeshare for a week sailing on a catamaran yacht,> > that holds 3 couples, plus crew, which is a husband (captain) and wife> > (cook).It sounded good, but $17,000 for 12 years commitment scared us and> > I've always been lery of timeshares. Plus, we're young, no kids, but> > planning to start a family in few years - to commit time and money when we> > don't know where life is taking us scared us. The salesman made us a deal> > with to sell us just one week, to use at any time in the next 3 years. The> > deal included airfare to St. Maarten from anywhere in US, plus the catamaran> > cruise, all food and drink (including alcohol), fishing, snorkelling, scuba> > diving. We try to take one vacation a year and the price he offered was less> > than what we had paid for the vacation we were on.So - we bought the one> > week, and put half down on our credit card. The other half he said would be> > billed a month later.It's been a month, and for other reasons, we cancelled> > our credit card and had the company issue a new one. So the second half of> > the charge won't work for them. I tried to call them today to give them the> > new number, but the telephone number on the forms they gave me do not work.> > Now I'm worried that I've been taken, or scammed in some way. I don't know> > what to think. Anyone ?> > Sure sounds like a scam, as it seems strange that air fare is part of > the deal. 12 years is a long time for a boat and crew to stay in > charter. Suppose it could be a few boats and crews, though. Still, I'd > contact the old credit company and explain the situation with them. They > may be able to put a hold on the downpayment, which would get the > company's attention.> > Do keep checking things, though, as RCI is fairly well established. > Friend told me about something new they were trying that sounds similar. > > Something that occurs to me: Could the area code(s) have changed since > the forms were printed?

> Sure sounds like a scam, as it seems strange that air fare is part of> the deal. 12 years is a long time for a boat and crew to stay in> charter. Suppose it could be a few boats and crews, though. Still, I'd> contact the old credit company and explain the situation with them. They> may be able to put a hold on the downpayment, which would get the> company's attention.> Do keep checking things, though, as RCI is fairly well established.> Friend told me about something new they were trying that sounds similar.> Something that occurs to me: Could the area code(s) have changed since> the forms were printed?

I finally managed to get a phone number that works and found out that the
number on the contract that I was trying to call was in St. Maarten - which
is an international call and requires you to dial 011 prior to the actual
phone number. Would have been nice if they indicated that on the contract.

Besides that, more news. I finally spoke to a manager of RCI and as you
suspected, this catamaran timeshare thing is a new venture for them and they
are still in the "learning curve" portion with their salesmen. So - the
airline tickets from "any major airport in the US to St. Maarten" , as the
saleman in St. Maarten told my wife and I right to our face as we sat at the
table with him - is NOT part of the deal. Either he didn't know what the
hell he was talking about, or he told us what we wanted to hear in order to
make the sale. Either way, I'm very upset and I let the sales manager at
RCI know this. After several days of phone calls back and forth to between
us, contracts faxed, raised voices on the phone, he finally agreed to fax me
a contract release form and refund my $1305.00 downpayment.

I don't like being lied to. That's it for me. End of story. As soon as
someone lies to me, every else that has to do with that issue becomes
circumspect to me, and I won't stand for it.

On Fri, 9 Apr 2004 16:46:17 -0400, "Shawn"
<shawnNO@shawnNO-andSP-lisaAM.com> wrote:>I don't like being lied to. That's it for me. End of story. As soon as>someone lies to me, every else that has to do with that issue becomes>circumspect to me, and I won't stand for it.

It's easy to ridicule people who get caught up in scams like this -
and hold your tongue if you think I'm assuming all time shares are
scams. I have never seen one that made economic sense to me but that
does not mean that any particular pitch is as fraudulent as this one
appears to have been.

The cleverly planned psychological pressure - supported by the lies
experienced in this case - are powerful stuff against people not
trained in confronting them. Until you have been under that kind
pressure, you have no appreciation of what it is like. It is not very
dissimilar from interrogation techniques that result in false
confessions to horrendous crimes or from debriefing of war prisoners
and suspected spies.

I'm happy to hear that the victim in this case fought back, won a
refund and was willing to tell the story so others could be
forewarned. It's probably best not to tickle a shark under the chin
and time-share sales people are often sharks in playful dolphin guise.

I think one point needs to be clarified. RCI gets a bad rap
frequently for things not related to them (this is not to say that
those of us who belong don't criticize them enough anyway <G>). I do
not believe the business Shawn was dealing with is owned by RCI (which
is owned by Cedant). Rather it is most likely an independent business
the has a association with RCI to process exchange requests for
owners. While Cendant does own many timeshares (Fairfield is another
Cendant subsiderary), I do not believe Trade Winds Cruise Club (that
is the only cruise based timeshare in SXM that I am aware of) falls
under their corporate umbrella. The way I read Shawn's transaction,
it was strictly a weekly rental purchase from Trade Winds, so RCI
would not have been involved since no exchange privileges were
involved. Standard Disclaimer: I have no connection with RCI other
than being a sometimes satisfied customer.

With that said, Shawn's case definitely points out the need to be VERY
vigilent when dealing with timeshare (and many other types of)
salesmen. As someone who takes advantage of "Free
tickets/cruises/money" offers (especially on rainy days in the islands
<G> - I do know several ways to say NO and shorten the sales
presentations) I have heard many exaggerations and outright lies
trying to seperate me from my money. Also do not assume that consumer
protections available in the US apply outside of the country. I would
caution anyone from buying timeshares from a developer (better values
are normally available on the secondary market) if you do decide to
purchase definitely make sure anything promised is included in WRITING
on your sales agreement. Glad to see Shawn was able to get his money
back, but that does not always happen. I have heard of many cases
where people did not get what was promised and were not as fortunate.

Tom

"Shawn" <shawnNO@shawnNO-andSP-lisaAM.com> wrote in message news:<_KSdnVVBboALlurdRVn-hg@telcove.net>...

> I finally managed to get a phone number that works and found out that the> number on the contract that I was trying to call was in St. Maarten - which> is an international call and requires you to dial 011 prior to the actual> phone number. Would have been nice if they indicated that on the contract.> > Besides that, more news. I finally spoke to a manager of RCI and as you> suspected, this catamaran timeshare thing is a new venture for them and they> are still in the "learning curve" portion with their salesmen. So - the> airline tickets from "any major airport in the US to St. Maarten" , as the> saleman in St. Maarten told my wife and I right to our face as we sat at the> table with him - is NOT part of the deal. Either he didn't know what the> hell he was talking about, or he told us what we wanted to hear in order to> make the sale. Either way, I'm very upset and I let the sales manager at> RCI know this. After several days of phone calls back and forth to between> us, contracts faxed, raised voices on the phone, he finally agreed to fax me> a contract release form and refund my $1305.00 downpayment.> > I don't like being lied to. That's it for me. End of story. As soon as> someone lies to me, every else that has to do with that issue becomes> circumspect to me, and I won't stand for it.> > Shawn